Tau’bah (Seeking Forgiveness)

Allah (Subhanahu WaTaala), the all-Merciful and all-Forgiving, declares in the Holy Qur’an:

“Say: O My slaves who have transgressed against themselves (by committing evil deeds and sins)! Despair not of the Mercy of Allah, verily Allah forgives all sins. Truly, He is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.” [Qur’an 39: 53]

It is the nature of mankind to be forgetful and to commit sins. However, Allah has given us the ability to rectify ourselves by turning to Him and begging for His forgiveness. Our mountains of evil deeds are nothing before the vast ocean of the mercy of Allah.

Abu Dhar RadiyAllahu `anhu reports that Rasulullah Sallallahu `alaihi wasallam in a Hadith Qudsi (a hadith in which the Blessed Prophet s quotes Allah) said: “Indeed Allah the Almighty and Majestic says:

“O My slave! Verily, as long as you worship Me and have hope in Me, I shall forgive you for what you have done; O My slave! If you meet Me with an earthful of sins, but do not associate any partner with Me, I would grant you a forgiveness as great as the whole world.” (Musnad Ahmad)

Committing sins may make you sorrowful, depressed and deeply disappointed with yourself. But if you return to Allah with a few tears and beseech Him for mercy, He will certainly forgive you. There is no other door to knock to solve our issues. None can forgive sins except Him. He calls us to the abode of peace (Paradise); He is the Almighty who hides our faults and He alone can replace our bad deeds with good deeds.

The door of repentance is always open for a person until he dies or until the sun rises from the west, whichever comes first. When something is a necessity Allah provides it in abundance like air and water. Since we are always sinful and negligent of Allah and Satan and the self are always inciting us towards evil, therefore tau’bah is provided in abundance so we can turn back to Allah.

Allah has created a solution to every sickness even if it may be the poison of a snake. Satan and sins are a major sickness and the cure for it is in tau’bah and istighfar, crying in front of Allah with deep regret in the heart.

Whenever our tau’bah breaks we should make tau’bah again. Some people despair and think they are sinners and will go to Hellfire. Tau’bah is so powerful that it can take a person from the lowest levels of Hellfire and raise him to the highest levels of Paradise.

Allah (Subhanahu WaTaala), the Lord of Mercy, puts mercy in the hearts of every mother in the world by which they love and care for their children. We make mistakes but Allah overlooks our faults. Our worship and good deeds are not perfect but Allah accepts them and multiplies the reward.

Do not fall into minor sins. Minor sins leads to major sins the way a spark may start a fire and burn down a house. A believer should run away from sin as one runs away from a snake. Even a minor sin makes a true believer restless as if a mountain is above his head and is about to fall on him and crush him.

Make a U-turn in life, wash off your slate of deeds – eliminate the bad deeds and protect your good deeds.

Method of making Tau’bah:

MAGHFIRAT - TAWBA (REPENTENCE)

It is very essential for every person to do Tawba and seek Maghfirat from Allaah for our sins, mistakes, and wrongdoings that were committed either knowingly or unknowingly. Allaah S.W.T. prefers the one who seeks pardon from Him and He is at that instance as happy as the one who had lost his every belonging and then suddenly found it in front of him.

To seek pardon from Allaah S.W.T. is the instant remedy for every problem. Once a person came to Imam Ali A.S. and asked him for the solution of repaying the debts, he was told to do Tawba and seek repentance from Allaah. The other person came asking for the remedy of a sickness, he was prescribed the same. Yet another person came asking for the bestowing of an offspring from Allaah and he was also told to do Istighfaar as much as possible.

It should not be forgotten that we, being human beings are prone to committing sins. Sinless are nobody in the universe except the Ma'sumeen A.S. and the Prophets of Allaah A.S.

Might be there are some Qaza Namaaz we have forgotten, or there might be some Namaaz prayed not on its time or hastily without due concentration; might be there are some Roza which were made Baatil and we do not know; might be there were some unobserved rights of our parents, children, of our relatives, neighbours, our teachers and scholars, of our workers, the needy and poor etc.

It might also be that we have made mistakes in our earnings by taking that which was Haraam. Might be that we have not paid Khums or Zakaat properly. Might be in the case of performing Hajj or Ziyarat we have made some mistakes.

Might be that we have committed some mistakes in our young age or because of improper understanding, or because of worldly attachment. And it might be that we have not properly propagated our religion which is the duty of every individual according to the extent of his/her ability.

It should be kept in mind that while one seeks repentance then it should be a sincere repentance, that he or she is really sorry for the sins committed, a firm resolution not to repeat again, and if anything unbecoming has occurred due to the sins it must be rectified to the best possible way.

The wronged ones should be repaid, and some hardships should be taken on oneself so as to realize the gravity of sins, and the flash and fat accumulated by wrongful means should be dissolved by means of fasting.

Hereby are mentioned a few ways to seek Maghfirat (repentance) from Allaah S.W.T.: -
{Wherever you come over this sign [*****] it indicates that you may find the concerned details in the forth-coming pages of this book}

(1) Recite "Astaghfirullaah Rabbee Wa Atoobu Ilayh" as many times as possible, with sincerity. (= I SEEK FORGIVENESS FROM MY LORD AND I TURN REPENTANT TO HIM.)

(2) Try your best to wake up early before dawn to pray Namaaz-e-Tahajjud [ ***** ]. There are fourty plus advantages in it.

(3) At any time pray two rak'at Namaaz, niyyat - Namaaz-e-Afw: - In each rak'at recite Surah-e-Qadr after Al-Hamd and then recite fifteen times "Rabbee Afwaka", ( = MY LORD PARDON ME.) then go in Rukoo, after its zikr recite ten times "Rabbee Afwaka", then before going in Sajdah recite ten times "Rabbee Afwaka", then in the Sajdah recite it ten times after its zikr, then in between two Sajdah again recite it ten times, then in the second Sajdah recite ten times the same, then before standing for the second rak'at recite ten times the same (Rabbee Afwaka), and pray the same way during the second rak'at also.

(4) Perform Sunnat Ghusl, do Wudhoo, and recite Ziyarat of Bibi Fatima S.A. [ ***** ] and then recite Istighfaar, or any Duaa for repentance. [*****]

(5) Recite Duaa-e-Tawba. [*****]

(6) Recite these Surahs of Holy Qur'aan - S.Yaaseen, S.Tahreem, S.Waaqiah, and S.Kaafiroon. Specifically, S.Tahreem carries Sawaab of Tawba-e-Nasooh.

(7) Recite Ziyarat of Imam Radhaa A.S. It is also a means of having our sins being pardoned. [*****]

(8) These magnificent Duaas are also a means of wiping our sins away: - Duaa-e-Mashlool, Duaa-e-Mujeer, Jawshan-e-Kabeer, Sayfi Sagheer, etc. (Refer Mafaatihul Jinaan)

(9) Namaaz-e-Rasoolullaah S.A.W.W.: - Sins are forgiven and Hajaat fulfilled. Time for this prayer is preferable Friday morning, but it may be prayed on any time. (refer Mafaatihul Jinaan).

(10) Namaaz-e-Ameerul Mu'mineen A.S.: - Its merits are same as mentioned above. (refer Mafaatihul Jinaan).

(11) Namaaz-e-Wasiyyat: - To earn great Sawaab and sins forgiven, in between Maghrib and Ishaa pray two rak'at Namaaz, in each rak'at after Al-Hamd recite 13 times Surah Zilzaal [*****] and 15 times Surah-e-Tawheed.

(12) Salawaat also is a means of atonement for past sins. Allaahumma Swalli Alaa Muhammadin Wa AaliMuhammad

(13) This is also very effective A'amaal to make our sins disappear from our A'amaalnaama: - Perform Sunnat Ghusl then do Wudhoo and offer 4 rak'ats Namaaz, in each rak'at after Al-Hamd recite 3 times S.Ikhalaas and once S.Maoozatain (S.Falak and S.Naas). After completing the Namaaz recite 70 times "Astaghfirullaah Rabbee Wa Atoobu Ilayh", then recite the following Duaa :- "Laa Hawla Walaa Quwwata Illaa Billaahil Aliyyil Adhweem, Yaa Azeezu Yaa Ghaffaar, Ighfirlee Dhunoobee, wa Dhunoobi Jamee'il Mu'mineena Wal Mu'minaat, Fa Innahoo Laa Yaghfirudh Dhunooba Illa Anta".

( = THERE IS NO POWER NOR STRENGTH SAVE THE ALMIGHTY THE MOST HIGH. O THE MIGHTY O THE FORGIVER, PARDON MY SINS AND THE SINS OF BELIEVERS, MALES AND FEMALES, VERILY THERE IS NO ONE WHO CAN FORGIVE SINS EXCEPT YOU.)

(14) If one recites Surah As-Sajdah on the eve of Friday (Shab-e-Jummah) his or her A'amaalnaama (deed's record) will be given in the right hand, and this will be an indication of being pardoned of every sin.

(15) Reciting Surah-e-Dukhaan in Wajib or Sunnat Namaaz is a way to clear our account of sins.

(16) Pray 2 rak'at Namaaz in which recite 60 times S.Ikhlaas (Qulhuwallaah…..) in each rak'at after Al-Hamd.

(17) Recitation of Duaas specifically for Maghfirat can be found in Mafaatihul Jinaan, Pirmuhammad Ebrahim Trust's Books of DUAAS, and other authantic books.

(18) A very effective Namaaz for the forgiveness of sins is:- Namaaz-e-Ghufayla--- In between Maghrib and Ishaa prayers pray 2 rak'at. [ ***** ]

(19) Recite Duaa of Hazrat Ilyaas A.S. in Sajdah:-

Ataraak Muazzabi wa qad adhma'atu laka hawaajiri,
Ataraak Muazzabi wa qad adhma'atulaka hawaajiri
Ataraak Muazzabi wa qad affartu laka fitturaabi wajhee
Ataraak Muazzabi wa qad ijtanabtu lakal ma'aaswee
Ataraak Muazzabi wa qad as'hartu laka layli.

(In this Duaa the supplicant pleads to the Almighty that :

O Allaah, shall You, The Most Merciful, be happy to see me burning in fire and in great torments although I have been observing fasts in hot weathers and endured acute thirst, and I have restrained from sins to please You only, and will You be happy to see me burning while I have kept night vigils for Your woship?)

(20) To be pardoned of our sins, Imaam Ja'afar Saadiq A.S. said:-

Everyday in the last Sajdah of the Naafilah of Ishaa, and especially on Thursday-night, recite this Duaa 7 times :

"Allaahumma Innee As'aluka Bi Wajhikal Kareem, Wa Ismikal Adhweem, Antuswalli Alaa Muhammadin Wa Aali Muhammad, Wa An Taghfira Lee Dhanbiyal Adhweem. "

( = O Allaah I beseech You in the name of Your munificent nature and Your Great Name, send blessings on Muhammad S.A.W.W. and his holy progeny, and pardon my sins which are immense. )

(21) Rasoolullaah S.A.W.W. said that whoever recites these seven verses on the Friday-eve, when he shall die he shall be directly admitted to Jannat:~~~~~~~

"Allaahumma Anta Rabbee. Laa Ilaaha Illaa Anta Khalaqtanee Wa Anaa Abduka Wabnu Amatika Wa Fee Qabdhatika Wa Naaswiyatee Bi Yadika Amsaytu Alaa Ahdika Wa Wa'adika Mastatwa'atu Aoodhu Bi Ridhaaka Min Sharri Maa Swana'atu Aboo'u Bi Ni'amatika Bi Amali Wa Aboo'u Bi Dhambi Faghfirlee Dhunoobee Innahoo Laa Yaghfirudh-Dhunooba Illaa Anta."

( = O Allaah You are my Lord, there is no god except You. You brought me into living being, I am Your dutiful servent, son of Your slave, in Your absolute service, in person, standing at Your disposal, I submit to Your commission and promise that whoever beseeches humbly Your support and permission to get purge off evil You shall favour him with compensation, so allow me to make expiation for my sins, indeed no one can forgive save You. )

(22) Insistance in a request and keeping asking continuously gives favourable result. The Holy Prophet S.A.W.W. said, "A servent of God says: O God! Forgive me. But God turns away from him. Again he will say: O God! Forgive me. God turns away from him the second time. The man again says: O God! Forgive me. Here God says to the Angels: Don't you see My servent? He asked Me for forgiveness while I was turning away from him. He asked for forgiveness for the second time. I turned away from him again. He asked for forgiveness for the third time. My servent realized that no one but Me forgives the sins. I take you as witness that I have forgiven him. "

(23) Reciting Surah-e-Takaathoor at bedtime saves one from Fishaar-e-Qabr. [*****]